The Path To Salvation
by jadedbeauty
Summary: Jinx finally realizes that she wants to do more with her life. What will happen when she attempts to rebuild? Will she have to do it alone, or will someone be by her side? Kid Flash x Jinx. It's a little darker than the usual story involving them.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans or anything related to DC. I may change the rating of this story in the near future if the content becomes a bit more mature.

**Chapter One: Changing Her Luck**

She glared at herself through the foggy mirror. Her eyes looked worn, defeated even. How did she end up here? A shoddy motel in the wrong side of town, with questionable neighbors and an option to rent the room by the hour…not exactly ideal for where she wanted to be.

She never went home after her showdown with Madame Rouge. As she wandered the streets on that cold evening, she threw her communicator into the river along with her keys to her now former lair. She just couldn't do it anymore. She couldn't pretend to enjoy the company of idiots, nor did she really experience a rush of joy when she knocked off malls and other small local shops. As of late, she felt a pang of guilt when a victim looked her in the eye, offering her a silent desperate plea. That look used to disgust her, but now it phased her to the point of nightmares at night.

Kid Flash seemed to be the hammer hitting the nail on the head. Even he saw her wasted potential, and her lack of direction. What did it matter to her though? The opinion of a stranger that was an immediate opposite of her shouldn't hold an echo in her mind, and yet it did. His eyes seemed to see right through her guise, and peel her down to her most exposed layers.

She splashed cold water against her face before padding it dry with the cheap motel towel that she was provided with. She only had a little bit of money with her, but she would try to make it. She wasn't sure how she was going to go straight, but she would be damned if she had to withstand one more look of fear and disgust as she took money from some hard working person.

Eyes glanced down to her clothes, causing her to cringe. Those would have to go. She then fixated on her hair, and ripped the elastic bands from her hair, letting it fall into a natural down position. Contrary to what everyone thought, her hair wasn't pink, but her eyes were. She would have to dye her locks to something different if she wanted to restart. A woman with cotton candy pink hair stood out like a sore thumb in the crowd.

Fingers roughly removed her clothes as she approached her worn down bed. The covers weren't comfortable, but she didn't care. She clicked off the lamp and finally lulled off to sleep.

The morning came too quickly for her liking, but she forced herself to move. She begrudgingly put on her old uniform, but she kept her hair down. Once she freshened up a bit, she left the motel and walked a few blocks down to the drug store and combed the isles for hair dyes. The debate was a long one, but she finally just grabbed the permanent dye and paid the cashier.

It was an uncomfortable exchange to say the least, his eyes kept looking to her nervously, as if he was waiting for her to make a move to rob him blind. She couldn't blame him though, if it had been a few weeks ago she probably would have.

With dye in her possession she felt a little more confident. She could change her look , and perhaps people wouldn't recognize her. She didn't bother waiting until she went shopping for clothes, she went right back to the motel and administered the color.

Letting the color set seemed like an eternity, even though it was only half an hour. A smile finally spread across her lips as she rinsed the extra color from her hair and watched it blend with the water. When it was successfully washed , she toweled her hair off and observed the damage with satisfaction. She finally blow-dried it, allowing it to remain in down in its naturally curly state. Jet black. The color was believable for someone of her appearance, and yet it suited her.

She radiated confidence as she went back out into the city and ventured into a few boutiques and bought a new wardrobe. It was not a complete reverse from her prior look, but it was certainly an upgrade from before. More fashionable, to say the least. She paid for her clothes, and then changed into one of her outfits, a black sundress with pink skull polka dots and hot pink shoes, at the store.

As she walked down the street, it seemed that nothing could ruin her day. That's when she saw him, piercing pool blue eyes with fire red hair and that garish uniform. He had just rescued a woman from an oncoming car. As he set the civilian down, he looked up and locked eyes with something familiar; pink cat eyes.

She blinked quickly, and broke contact before hurrying off, but she should have known better. Within seconds, she hit a wall of yellow and red. She looked up, and she found those familiar eyes staring down at her.

"Jinx?" he questioned in a hushed tone. Before she could respond, he scooped her up and bolted off out of the public's view.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Cracking Her Code

She looked so different, and he couldn't help but evaluate her from every angle. A grin pulled from ear to ear as he finally stopped his observations and stood within inches of her. He never did seem grasp the concept of personal space, but Jinx decided to let him stay where he was for now.

The hero and the villain had relocated to a rooftop of an abandoned warehouse across so that they would be free from the public's eye and their camera phones. Kid Flash had the fortune of donning a disguise, but Jinx had always shown her face. It was a decision she regretted now, but then again she never imagined herself as anything but a villain. Hindsight was a bitch.

She was slightly irritated with him to say the least; she never was a fan of being moved without her permission, especially at the speed that Kid Flash liked to travel. Still, she understood why he did it now. Playing 20 questions in the middle of a busy street was sure to draw eyes and foil whatever it was that she was attempting to do with her life.

"You look so different, but I like it. It suits you, and your eyes really pop against that color. Is that your natural hair color and style?" he mused. There wasn't a drop of sarcasm within his voice, just genuine interest. She wanted to scold him for delving into affairs that weren't his business, but the innocent look he gave her crushed any of her feisty demeanor.

"I'm naturally a very dark brunette, but I felt that black was a better fit for me. Different, but still appropriate. And yes, my hair is naturally curly."

It felt odd to speak to him in such a casual setting. She felt vulnerable without her old uniform and intimidating hairstyle. She could still cast magic though, and if he crossed the line she would happily remind him that she was still just as dangerous before.

Silence hung in the air for a moment, making Jinx rather uncomfortable. She began to fidget with the shopping bags in her hands as she stared own the hero with an expectant glare.

"…..So what are you going to do now? I'm assuming you've left that band of losers." His usual amused tone was replaced with a rather serious one. Now was not the time for fun and games. Jinx had taken a step in the right direction, and he wouldn't taint it with his typical antics. Besides, it was nice that she wasn't yelling at him or trying to escape for a change.

Now it was Kid's turn to wait for her response. He watched her eyes as they ran through a gambit of emotions. It seemed that she just now realized the gravity of her situation. She looked at him rather dazed, and formed a small frown.

"I'm not really sure. I know that sounds like a typical response, but when I left it was similar to having an epiphany. I don't want to spend my life running from the authorities and stealing from hard working people. I've been unhappy for a while, but I just repressed it and brushed it off as if it was just a phase of insecurity." Her fidgeting had turned into a wringing, providing a tell of her mental state.

Kid reached his hand out to her, gently clutching one of her wrists to stop her, and to offer some sort of contact. She looked like she needed a hug, but he didn't wish to try his luck just yet. "I'm glad, because eventually I would have had to arrest you. I can only delay doing my job for so long. More importantly though, I really did mean what I said to you when you caught me last time. You really are better than what you were doing. "

She blushed a bit as his comment before nodding. "It was embarrassing to have someone that I only knew for a day come in and tell me what I should or shouldn't be doing. I knew you were right though. I'm not saying that you're why I left, but having stranger come in and make the same observations sealed the deal for me. I just wish I had planned it better. I had some money back at the base, and some clothes. It's probably for the best though, it would have been a rather dramatic exit if I returned and then left the team."

A small frown formed across Kid's face. "Where are you staying? And how did you afford the new color and new clothes? You didn't steal did you?" His voice held a hint of disappointment, but he tried to mask it.

"I haven't stolen anything since the night you interrupted me. I had a little bit of money on me after I defeated Madame Rouge, so I wandered around the city all night and then came across a motel and holed up for the night. I went out this morning and bought the hair dye and the clothes." She almost sounded embarrassed as she admitted this, but the feeling died when she saw his expression brighten.

"You really are serious about this, huh?" Kid mused.

"Why wouldn't I be? I've never really been the type to flounder."

"No, I mean…I'm sorry. It's just that…wow…well wait a second. You must be running out of money, where are you going to stay?"

Jinx just sighed. "Nothing gets past you, does it hero? I haven't figured that out yet. I'm planning on trying to get a job somewhere, but I need to find a way to fabricate my records and what not. I'll be ok. I'm pretty resilient."

"You'll stay with me…" he announced with a little smile.

"What? The hell I will!" Ah, there was that little spitfire he knew, but he wouldn't be humoring her.

"Look…I'm not going to let you stay at some nasty motel until you go broke while you try and find yourself. If you are going to soul search, you shouldn't have to worry about where your next meal is coming from because then you'll be tempted to steal again. I promise that I'll be a total gentleman, and I even have an extra bedroom at my apartment. If you want a new identity I can help you get it, and if you want to switch sides and fight along with me and the Titans I'll give you an introduction. Whatever you want to do I'm game, as long as you don't go back to what you were doing before. Please, just treat it as if I'm repaying you for saving me from Madame Rouge. Ok?"

Her mouth opened and closed, but not a sound emerged from it. She was stunned from his statement, because it was completely true. What choice did she really have though? She only had $100 left on her, and that would easily be spent in a if she stayed another night at the motel, and bought something to eat."…..Only for a two months max, and I will do chores and housework. " She hardly sounded enthusiastic about this, but at the same time she knew it was her best option if she really wanted to make this work. Kid Flash was annoying, cocky, and overly flirtatious, but she knew he was loyal and honest.

"What? Really?" he couldn't contain the excitement in his voice as he drew Jinx in for a crushing hug and laughed a bit. "I promise you won't regret it. Now then, where is this crappy motel you were staying at so we can go get your stuff and get going."

"No need. I paid for my night already and I have everything I need in these shopping bags."

Kid just nodded as he scooped her up again, along with her purchases and bolted. Maybe he would get a chance to start over with Jinx, and maybe she would finally do something that made her happy for a change.

Jinx hated this mode of transportation because it was simply terrifying. Everything came at them so fast, and there were many instances where she was sure that Kid Flash was going to collide with some random inanimate object. He never did though. She decided to keep her eyes closed on their short little trip, which made it tolerable. She waited for him to stop moving when she finally opened her eyes.

"Home sweet home…well one of them at least." He said with a little laugh. Pink eyes blinked a few times as she absorbed the sight. The apartment was modern and clean. Dark wooden furniture contrasted nicely against dark blue walls and white carpet. It held a slight eastern feel to it, but it wasn't a theme. Art hung on various walls, and were framed with pride. Jinx was surprised to say the least.

"This isn't what I expected at all…" she trailed as she slipped out of his grip and set her bags down.

"Were you expecting the same colors as my uniform with garish mementos from all of the bad guys I've taken down?"

"Well…yeah." Jinx said with a laugh.

"That's Batman's style, not mine. When I come home I don't like to be reminded of work."

"So, why did you bring me here then?" Kid Flash could tell she was serious about her question.

"Because, you are trying to be good. Besides, you're wonderful company." He replied, a dimple cutting into his smile.

"Whatever…" she then explored his apartment without permission. She was instantly drawn to the art hanging on the walls. It turned out that it was several black and white photographs of various people, and locations. They were all beautifully shot. "Where did you buy these?" she asked.

"I didn't. I took them and developed them. It's a hobby of mine." He called out as he took her bags to the spare bedroom. When Jinx turned to reply, Kid was standing right beside her, causing her to jump a bit.

"Sorry, I'll try to move a little slower around you." He teased as he peered over her shoulder. "Oh, this one is my favorite. I took it when I traveled to Japan for the Cherry Blossom festival. "And the woman in the kimono?" Jinx cut in. "Just a random woman that was spinning beneath the tree. "She didn't even know I took it. I ran up and snapped the shot and disappeared just as quickly. I don't like it when people pose for photos. I like taking pictures of candid moments."

"How poetic of you." Jinx deadpanned.

"I'd like to think so." He mused .

The two exchanged eye contact for a moment before Jinx broke the silence. "My room?" she questioned.

Kid just lead her down the hall and opened the door to reveal a bedroom painted in dark green with dark wood and the same modern look as the rest of the house. "I can paint if a different color if you want. It'll take a few hours to dry after that."

"You could?" she asked, a bit caught off guard by the offer.

"Yep…one of the perks of being the fastest boy alive."

"Even if I wanted to paint it hot pink?"

That caused Kid Flash to cringe.

"Ok…royal purple?" she tried again.

"I can live with that color while still maintaining my manhood." He teased.

"Can…can I have a purple and brown bed set too?" she mused, giving him a slight pout.

Kid was always a sucker for women. He pretended to be put off by the idea by offering a heavy sigh before smiling at her. "And what will you do for me?" he purred.

"I'll cook dinner while you do all of that."

Little did Jinx know that food was truly the way to his heart. "What kind of food?" he perked.

"Roasted honey chicken with some vegetables and a potato?" she tried.

"Done deal. My fridge is fully stocked beyond belief. Please try not to freak out when you see the amount of food in there. I have an insanely high metabolism because of my powers. If you need any ingredients let me know and I'll get it for you. Anything else that you want for your room?" he questioned.

"Nope."

"Then I'll be back in a flash." He teased. Just as he was about to take off, Jinx called out to him.

"Yeah?" he questioned.

"Just where the heck is this apartment anyway?"

"London." He replied casually.

"England?!"

"Yep." And with that response, he was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Adjusting

It had been a little over two weeks since Jinx moved in with Kid Flash. Their interactions were still strange and awkward. Conversations would begin roughly, but once they warmed up they were fantastic. Jinx had learned that her roommate listened to a broad spectrum of music, and was a serious book worm. Then he had his nerdier pleasures. He read manga and comics, and would indulge in the occasional Star Trek marathon. All in all, he was a rather balanced human being, quite ordinary when Jinx thought of it.

What was unusual was that he still kept his mask on whenever Jinx was around. She couldn't necessarily fault him, he had to be cautious.

About a week into her stay, Jinx made an executive decision to do something positive with her life. On that day, she went down to a computer store and purchased a lap top of her own. When she returned, Kid Flash offered her a questionable look.

"I am going to take some online college classes in the states, that way when I go back I can move close to the campus and finish up." He just smiled at her and nodded. He was proud of her because he didn't have to prompt good behavior from her. In his opinion, she was a woman that was simply a product of her environment. Now that the environment had changed, perhaps she could as well.

"I liked college, it was very refreshing and I gained a lot from going." Kid offered. Jinx stared at him, stunned with surprise. "You went to college?" He just laughed. "Think of it this way, I do everything at an accelerated speed. I speed read, I do math faster than most and so I finished school early and went to college when I turned 15. I graduated top of my class, so if this hero thing doesn't work out for me I have something to fall back on. "

"Oh," was all she could offer. That was the first time that she was forced to take a more in depth glance at him. Previously, she perceived him in a way that a nerd would consider a jock. She figured he was simple, but she was completely wrong.

"So, let me know if you need help studying…" he said meekly, breaking her from her train of thought.

"Yes, umm, of course I will."

Kid sensed her discomfort and ruffled her hair before walking towards the door. "I have to go patrol now, but I have my communicator on me if something happens back here."

This was the norm now. Jinx would take a seat on the couch in the living room and study while sipping on a cup of tea. She would watch Kid leave, and she would always wait for him to come back again. Part of her felt tempted to join him, but she always pushed those thoughts aside. She needed to try to be a normal civilian before branching out into the extreme.

Jinx found herself staring at the door, just as she had a week ago. Once again he was out on patrol, and she was in the process of studying for a history test. It was rather late though and she felt herself growing concerned. He was usually home by now, giving her a play by play of how he took down the latest goon.

Another hour passed and Jinx found herself gazing at the clock, watching the second hand tick away. The hour and minute hand quickly began to cycle about until the clock sizzled with a light pink energy and exploded. She felt her cheeks pinking with embarrassment as she realized her powers had temporarily gotten out of hand. A heavy sigh passed through her lips as she stood to go clean her mess, but she stopped. The door flew open to the apartment and the sight before her almost made her cry out. There he was, bruised and bloody. His suit was torn to shreds, but his mask was still intact. He had several gashes on his arms, legs and chest.

"Kid!" she screamed as she hurried over to him.

He began to fall to the ground, but Jinx caught him and hoisted him back up. "Are you ok?" She mentally scolded herself as soon as the words left her mouth. Of course he wasn't fine, he could barely walk.

"I'll be fine…I just need to get cleaned up and get some sleep," he murmured. He then tried to stand on his own, only to falter back into her grip.

"Idiot." She growled while helping him into his bedroom. As odd as it seemed, it was only her second time in there. Once she had him settled on the bed she hurried into his bathroom and found the first aid kit.

While Jinx busied herself, Kid managed to remove the top half of his uniform, still keeping the mask on. Jinx returned to the bedroom a moment later, her eyes fixated on him. He almost wanted to smile and make a wise crack, but he knew that she wasn't eyeing him for a positive reason. A quarter of his torso was covered in dark bruises, and then there were those weeping gashes on his chest.

Her fingers pressed against his unharmed shoulder and gently pushed him back against the bed. He gladly complied. She then began to work, dampening cotton balls with antiseptic and trailing them down each injury with care. He hissed and winced in pain, but she ignored him. The bruises were treated with Icy Hot and Advil. She was almost certain that he cracked a few ribs, but she would deal with those in a minute.

Treating his arms proved to be much more difficult since the gashes ran deeper. She flushed each injury out for several seconds, causing Kid to cry out in agony. She felt her heartstrings tug slightly at this, but it couldn't be helped. Her usual rough manner was abandoned and left for a later time. Kid could be cocky and nonchalant, but unprepared and stupid was something he was not. She knew nothing could have been done to prevent this; he must have been ambushed or bested in some way.

The injuries on his legs were just a few minor scrapes that she treated with antibiotic cream. There was no need to put him through more pain by swabbing the wounds with antiseptic. Besides, she had more pressing matters to deal with.

Bandaging his injuries proved tedious and painful, and the hero fought down the urge to grunt from the pain. Unfortunately, a few would slip out occasionally, causing Jinx to stop in her tracks. Once she was sure he was ok, she would continue. She took special care to bandage his torso extra tight, hoping that it would help his ribs. When it was all said and done, Kid closed his eyes for a moment and murmured a quick work of gratitude.

"Was justice served?" she finally asked. Her voice sounded bittersweet. She tried to attempt humor, but failed horribly. Her concern broke through too much, causing her voice to crack slightly when she questioned him.

"Yeah…" he breathed.

"I'm glad." She was glad for all of the wrong reasons. If the poor bastard was still on the loose she was going to hunt him down and make him pay for putting Kid through hell. Jinx may have converted to the ways of good, but she could do terrible things if she needed to.

"Kid.." she started. He was asleep though.

A sad smile crossed her lips as she tucked him into bed and took a seat in a chair nearby.

Her history studies could wait.


	4. Chapter 4

Blue eyes slowly parted, and stared up at the textured white ceiling. He felt like he had been hit by a truck. Slowly he propped himself up by digging his heels into the bed. Once he sitting, he could see his roommate sleeping quietly in the corner of his bedroom. This sent a small shock of concern through him. He never left the door unlocked when he went to bed. As much as he wanted to trust her, he wasn't completely naive. His right hand quickly reached up and touched his face, feeling around his cheek bones. His mask was still on, and intact.

That's when the memories started flashing back. He had just finished his patrol, and was headed back to his apartment when his communicator sounded. The call seemed like a simple one, a mere burglary in Paris. The scene of the crime was a high profile medical lab. The break in was careless and evident. Broken glass littered the ground at the bottom of what used to be the door. An alarm screeched loudly, and alert lights blinked in every corner.

This criminal was either an idiot, or carefree. He took it slow when he stepped inside, observing every corner and door, making sure that he was not taken by surprise. His search took him up two flights of stairs and into a small lab in the west wing of the building. Again, the glass door had been shattered, and the lights were on. As he stepped inside, he stopped as he fixated on the figure that stood a few feet away.

He was covered from head to toe in a black spandex body suit with a black mask that just had cut outs around his eyes. He also had black protection padding on his elbows, knees, chest, and shoulders. The man certainly wasn't in this for attention or notoriety. He seemed to be carefully storing chemicals into a duffle bag on the table.

"Not very discreet, are you?" the hero mocked.

The thief's attention quickly snapped in the direction of the newcomer, taking in his appearance.

"Kid Flash, I presume?" he inquired. His voice was deep with a slight rattle to it.

"Well, at least you're observant. Now then, hand over the bag, and I might ask them to be lenient when I turn you in to the authorities."

The thief just laughed as he reached into his bag for a moment then retrieved his hand, keeping it clutched. With his free hand, he zipped the bag and slung it over his shoulder.

"I'm never caught Kid, and I'm never seen unless I want to be." The thief then took a step towards the window, and stopped. Kid Flash had chosen that moment to take action, and zipped over to him, standing inches away.

"Last chance, hand over the bag."

The thief hesitated for a moment before gently placing the duffle on the ground. Kid knelt down to retrieve a zip tie from his boot to temporarily cuff the criminal. His opponent took that time to knee him in the chin.

Kid felt the impact to the point of where his teeth clicked before he fell back. He was slow to recover, which was opportunistic for his foe. He opened his clenched hand to reveal a small dart, which he threw. It sank with ease into Kid's shoulder. It only remained for a few seconds before the hero yanked it out, and bounded back to his feet. It hardly hurt, but he couldn't help but feel alarmed.

Not wasting another second, he blurred up to his enemy and landed a series of jabs followed by an upper cut to the fiend's chin. As his opponent fell back, Kid smiled. "Just repaying the courtesy. "

Again, the thief stood on his feet and charged towards him. Kid was naturally faster. This time, he mixed it up a bit by delivering a combo of high and low hits, finishing it with a round house kick. This time, the man remained standing , but doubled back and took on a fighter's stance again. Kid approached yet again, running rapid circles around him until a violent whirlwind formed. As Kid picked up speed, the thief was hoisted into the air and spun helplessly until Kid came to a stop, causing the criminal to drop gracelessly to the ground. He just grunted as he stumbled up and hurried towards him.

The thief went on the offense, delivering fist after fist. Kid blocked each one of them mindlessly.

"Too slow!" He teased.

"Not for long," the criminal commented.

He then delivered a few more hits. Two of them were blocked, but the third one was missed—it connected with Kid's stomach. The thief laughed with satisfaction as he continued, delivering blow after blow, witnessing as kid's reflexes failed him.

The hero bounded backwards, clutching his mid section with his right hand. Even his retreat was slower than usual. "What did you do to me?"

The thief didn't acknowledge him. Instead, he just walked over to him. Kid tried to blur to the corner of the room, but something was different. He ran for a few seconds, but he was only a few feet away from his foe. Usually, his travel distance was three times that. He was definitely slower.

"Paralysis potion," the thief finally replied. "I took a wild guess as to how your body operates, and I was right. You see, you metabolize substances so quickly that a constant dose would have to be delivered to you in order to completely make you immobile. A dose or two will definitely slow you down though, and that's all I needed. Simply making you slow makes you useless. You're nothing without your gift."

He then dashed forward again and delivered a swift blow to Kid's head, followed by a knee to the throat, and a smack to his ears. Kid coughed and gagged. He could hardly hear anything except for the sound of ringing. His equilibrium was temporarily thrown. His opponent capitalized by wrapping his arms around Kid's waist and throwing his body weight backwards, slamming Kid to the ground. His opponent then straddled his body and proceeded to deliver even more hits to his chest and stomach. In a desperate attempt to make the assault stop, Kid began to vibrate his molecules and phase through the floor. He managed to phase his hand through the floor, but quickly pulled it back. His speed was too slow, and he was genuinely fearful that he wouldn't completely phase through, or that he would lose part of himself during the maneuver.

This match wasn't going to end well. Kid was bested, and he had to get out of there. Eventually the poison would wear off, but who knew when, and it seemed to be getting stronger by the minute. He managed to stop his assailant's next hit, and shove him off.

Kid never ran from a fight, but tonight was a night of firsts. With the last of his speed and energy, he dashed out of the building, out of Paris and back towards London. The trip took him an hour, when it was usually minutes. His powers finally failed him as he reached his apartment. He weakly climbed the stairs and propped himself up against the door as he threw it open.

In front of him was a horrified Jinx, who reached out to him. The rest of the memory was blank. Judging from his bandages, and the dried blood on Jinx' hands, she cared for him. A pang of guilt shot through him as he recalled his first thought. Jinx could have easily finished him off, and the world would have been none the wiser. Instead she drug him into his bedroom and tended to his wounds. His secret identity was probably the last thought that crossed her mind. On top of it, she probably sacrificed her study time for him.

"I'm an asshole," he murmured.

Kid's words caused Jinx to stir, pink eyes meeting his blue.

"Did you say something?" she asked, not fully cognizant yet.

She then blinked a few times, took in the sight before her, and recalled the prior evening. She was instantly on her feet and stumbled towards his bed. Once she was seated, her hands grabbed his wrists.

"Are you ok? I wanted to take you to the hospital, but we all know that isn't really an option for super heroes, especially here. The paparazzi is insane, and I was worried that they might try to reveal your identity."

Now he felt like an even bigger asshole for his thoughts earlier this morning.

"Yeah…I just…hold on a second, ok?"

Jinx looked puzzled as she watched Kid blur out of bed and disappear from the apartment. He returned a few seconds later, seated in the same position as if he never left. He looked exhausted, from running. Kid never looked that tired before unless he had spent a lot of time running about.

"Thank God," he yelled.

"I'm so confused, please explain to me what is going on."

"I was poisoned ."

"What happened?" Jinx's eyes were now slightly a glow with fury. Someone had severely hurt him.

"Careful Jinx," he then tapped his mask, causing her to blink. She realized that she was starting to lose control.

Once she was powered down, Kid offered her a smile and reached out to ruffle her hair.

"So, are you going to tell me what happened?" she asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Oh right, before I do that…could you please fix me some breakfast? My body feels like it's crashing from all of the energy I used last night. "

"Sure, since you said please," Jinx retorted. Honestly though, she could have cared less about his manners.


	5. Chapter 5

**Seeing Yourself As You Really Are**

Kid quickly filled Jinx in on last night's activities. It was certainly hard for the woman to stomach, but she needed to know.

He finished talking as she scraped a pan full of scrambled eggs onto a plate, and slid them across kitchen bar top. The masked hero already had a plate of bacon and a mountain of pancakes.

They ate in silence as Jinx mulled over the details that he shared with her. The description of the guy could have been anyone, but she never knew of someone that specialized in chemical compounds. The whole thing bothered her.

Once, they finished their meal, Jinx finally spoke. "I'm glad that you had enough sense to know to retreat. I can't believe that you didn't have back up though.

Kid just put his hands up in defense. "The others were busy on other calls, and it seemed like a simple situation to diffuse. Jinx, it's ok, and I'm ok. I'm already healed, so please stop worrying."

"What do you mean you're already healed?" she mused.

A small smile crossed his lips as he slid out of his seat and walked over to her on the opposite side of the kitchen bar. Without a word, he began to rip off the bandages that Jinx wound around him last night. There wasn't even a bruise or a scratch. He then repeated his actions until all of her bandages were gone. He did have a few new scars, otherwise, his skin was flawless.

"I don't understand, you came in here last night, looking like you had the worst beating of your life." Without thinking, she reached out and touched his newly formed scar on his torso, causing Kid to jump a bit. His reaction caused her to retract her hand, as if she burned it.

"Sorry, I violated your personal boundaries."

Kid shook his head. "No, it's fine, I just didn't expect it." He then offered her a quick grin as he grabbed her hand and put it back where it was.

"Inspect away nurse Jinx. I heal at a faster rate. My body is constantly replacing damaged skin, blood cells, and bone at an accelerated rate, which is why I heal faster. My metabolism and my brain functions are also quicker too. That's why I can have motor mouth at times, or why I literally say what's on my mind. It can be tricky for me to have a buffer. I'm glad you wrapped my ribs though, they probably wouldn't have healed properly if you hadn't done that. I'm also sorry if I scared you last night. I hope I didn't completely derail your studies for history."

The new amount of knowledge that Kid shared with her was amazing. It also made so much sense.

"So this morning, you were making sure the poison was out of your system, right?" Kid just nodded.

"You should take it easy for a few days, and let your body completely replenish itself. I think your body did a lot of overdrive work to get you healed to this point. You looked pretty tired when you took off this morning, and that isn't normal."

The hero just smiled and stepped away. "Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. I'm going to shower and changed. clothes I think I ran into quite a few things on my run back to the apartment, because I don't really remember my costume taking a beating when I got into it with that guy."

Once he disappeared in his bedroom, Jinx just shook her head and began to wash the dishes. After every plate was scrubbed and loaded into the machine, she pushed the start button and retreated to the couch to resume her history studies. She could hear Kid's shower going steady. It was one of the few things that the speed demon seemed to do at a slow pace.

After a solid 45 minutes, his bedroom door opened and he came out, just dressed in a black v neck and red basketball shorts. He settled down on the couch and turned on the tv, flipping through it mindlessly until he found Top Gear. A few minutes later, Jinx closed her book, and looked over at him. He still had his mask on, and he was toying with it mindlessly with his index finger.

"Why didn't you look last night?" he finally asked.

Jinx blinked a few times, taking in his question. "At what?"

"You could have easily taken off my mask, why didn't you?"

Jinx shrugged. "It's not my place, or my business. Your identity is yours unless you want to share it. I completely understand that concept. I wish I had worn a mask when I was a criminal, it would have made becoming a civilian much easier. Why, does it bother you that I didn't look Kid?"

Kid just shook his head. "No, it just means that I was right to trust you. I've been thinking about it all morning. It was the first thing I checked for, but really, that was stupid. I've been locking my door too, but I bet you've never even tried to go in my room."

"You locked your door to your room because you thought I would look? " Jinx couldn't help but feel a little insulted.

"See, proof that you never even tried to go in my room. How long has it been since you even tried to commit a crime? I mean prior to leaving the Hive. I know I caught them a few times after our last encounter, but you were never with them."

"I pretended to be sick," She answered honestly. "In fact, I haven't committed a crime since the whole Madame Rouge encounter I had with you. I wasn't kidding when you found me on the street. I'm so tired of it Kid. I'm sick of being bad because it's what expected of me. My power brings misfortune, and so bad behavior was always expected of me. I never really wanted this life for myself. I just did it because it made things easier. When I was a child..." she suddenly stopped herself and shook her head.

"Sorry, I almost got heavy on you there. You don't need to hear things like this." She then sighed and pulled her history book back out. The next thing she knew, it was out of her hand, and on the floor. Kid was now in her personal space, partially boxing her in as he placed a hand on the back of the couch , letting their eyes lock.

"I want to hear this Jinx. I've always believed that people aren't born bad, and that they are capable of being good. I want to know what caused you to fall into the previous life that you had so that I can better understand you. Please, just open up for me, and maybe I'll do the same."

His request was so earnest . She just nodded and swallowed a dry lump that formed.

"I was born to poor parents. My dad was a gambler, and had some of the best luck when it came to dice, roulette, and blackjack. My mother did odd jobs like tarot readings and crystal healing. They were…odd…to say the least. When I was born, they knew I was different. Pink cat like eyes aren't exactly normal. I went to school, but I was definitely picked on. I tried to kill them with kindness, but they still wouldn't go away." She paused as she fidgeted in her seat.

"My first incident was in third grade. This boy constantly called me names, took my books, stole my money…you know…bullying 101. One day, I finally had enough, and I wished for something bad to happen to him, and it did. I was angry, and I didn't really want him to get hurt, but he did. He stole my lunch that day, and he was eating it on top of the monkey bars during recess. I just stood there and watched. My anger got the best of me, and that dark desire came back. The next thing I knew, he fell off of the bars and broke his back. Kid, I paralyzed him. I never wanted anything like that to happen. I just wanted him to know what it felt like to be small for a change."

She paused again, looking into Kid's eyes, waiting for that judgmental look to appear. It never did, so she continued.

"After that day, I felt so guilty and scared. I knew I was responsible some how. For a while, I didn't have another incident, and then there was a day that I came home and I found my dad and another woman in my parents' bed. I felt so angry because my dad caused us a lot of grief. He was a high risk gambler, and he liked to drink. Sometimes, he would get rough with me or my mother, and I resented him for it. When I saw him that day, those dark thoughts came back and I wanted something bad to happen to him. When my dad finally saw me, he chased me out of the apartment and through the halls. He ended up missing a step on the stairs, and fell. He…well…he broke his neck and died on the spot."

A dry lump was forming in her throat yet again, so she paused to swallow. She was surprised to see Kid's bent index finger coming towards her. That's when she realized it. She was crying. He quickly wiped away her tears and just waited patiently to continue. She took a deep breath and started again.

"My mother was almost relieved that he was gone since she was free of a lot of the burden he brought on us. I decided to confide in her one day, and told her about the two incidents. She seemed shocked at first, and thought I was just paranoid. Then she told me to prove it to her. She took me outside and asked me to focus my thoughts on a parked car. I let myself wish for something bad to happen and it did. About five minutes later, it caught on fire. She had me prove it a few more times with petty tasks, nothing damaging to others. Each time, something happened. I thought she would be terrified, but she was excited. I should have known that she was a kook, but I was a child. She pulled me out of school, and started bringing me to work with her. At first, I would just sit and listen as she did tarot readings, and then she started having me do something terrible. She had me place curses for her paying customers. Some of these curses were minor, and others were so serious that I tried get out of them. My mother made me say them out loud though, and that was all it took, even if I didn't mean it."

"Eventually my mind slipped, and I thought about her shop burning to the ground. I just wanted it to stop. The next morning, we showed up and it was torched. She figured it out quick enough, and she threw me out onto the street. She said she couldn't trust me, and that she wouldn't have her own flesh and blood put her into the ground like her husband. I couldn't really blame her, I would have been scared too."

Kid just bit his lip, fighting the urge to speak. Jinx carried on the conversation without missing a beat.

"After that, I lived on the streets for a while, using my abilities to steal food and find shelter. I finally got picked up by the cops, and I went to an orphanage for a while. They figured out that I was bad luck pretty quickly. I didn't want to be there, so things kept happening to the house. Pipes kept erupting, small kitchen fires happened…you get the idea. So, when I was on the streets for my second time, I was discovered by a few students at the Hive Academy, and they brought me in to meet the headmaster. I accepted the invitation without even thinking."

"Really, I just went there because they promised clean clothes, food, and a bed. I ended up staying because I felt accepted there, and because I was able to attend regular classes. I also learned some control over my abilities, so the accidental incidents stopped. By the time that I joined the Hive 5, I felt that I belonged on the bad side because that is what people knew me more, and what I was expected to do. I liked not being picked on or being used, and people respected me. I didn't understand that I gained that respect through fear, and I didn't realize that I was still being used until a few years into my crime career. The rest you know."

Jinx looked exhausted from her long winded confession. Kid remained silent for a minute as he ran his hands down her shoulders and arms, stopping once he had her hands in his. "What is your real name?"

He wanted to know it because the name Jinx was associated with what she could do, and not who she was. He wanted to know, because he wanted to get to know the real her, and not what her data files told her in the crime data base. He also wanted to know, so that he could call her something else other than a name that was associated with misfortune. That wasn't her.

"I'm fine with being called Jinx, it's kind of fun," she laughed. Deep down though, part of her hated it. It was a name given to her by the Hive, and it was a name that her mother called her before throwing her out of her home.

"Jinx, please tell me your real name. You're so much more than your alias, and I don't want to keep reminding you of something that is associated with your crime days. I also just want to know."

She was slightly floored by his statement. It was probably one of the sweetest things that she had heard in a while. A few moments of silence passed before she finally piped up.

"Coraline. My name is Coraline. My mother picked it because said my eyes were as pink as the coral that she saw when she went diving in the ocean.

"Coraline," Kid repeated as he smiled a little. "I like it a lot. It suits you. Slightly unusual and beautiful, just like you."

Jinx just blushed a little while Kid continued his one sided conversation.

"Well, my name isn't nearly as cool as yours."

"I don't know. Kid Flash, is pretty awesome," she teased.

"That's not my real name," he deadpanned. "It's Wallace…Wally for short."

Her eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. "What do you think you're doing? You shouldn't be telling me stuff like that! I know I didn't hear your name right. I think you said it was Walter, no wait…Waldo. It was definitely Waldo."

Kid's hands gripped her hands firmly, causing her to focus on him. "No Coraline, I said my name is Wally. I want you to know it. I want you to call me it when I'm not in uniform."

Jinx was simply stunned by this. Wally. He literally confided his citizen name to her. She had no intention of going back to a life of crime, but it just seemed so wrong for him to tell her.

"Wally…" she tried it out slowly.

"Yep. Wally West."

"Did you really have to share your full name just now? I'm still trying to grasp the concept of you sharing your first name." Her mind was still in a tizzy.

"It's too late now, it's out there in the open. I'm Wally West, and you're Coraline…"

"Gray," she supplied. "Coraline Gray."

He just offered a huge grin to her as he shook one of her hands. "Nice to meet you Coraline." He then pulled his hands away from her and slipped them beneath the neckline of his v neck and began to tug.

"Wait, stop!" she fussed.

"No," he retorted. He was tugging at the base of his mask, easing it up his neck. The material was now peeling itself free from his chin line, and his cheek bones.

She did the unthinkable. She closed her eyes and covered them with her hands. For now, he ignored her as he finished removing the red fabric from his face, rubbing his newly exposed skin to give it a bit of air. He then took in the sight of her and laughed.

"What are you doing dummy?" he mused.

"You can't show me your identity, you just can't!"

"Why?" He was now genuinely curious. Most people would have jumped at this chance. Leave it to Coraline to resist.

"I'm an ex villain, what if I go bad again?"

"You're not going to," he stated as if it were a fact.

"I don't plan to, but still, what if they capture me and torture me."

"I trust you." Again, his voice was serious.

"I'm not looking," she retorted. Now she sounded like a stubborn child.

"This is stupid," Wally commented. The next thing he knew, he gently pushed her back against the couch cushions and grasped her wrists, yanking them away from her face.

"Open your eyes silly woman," he growled.

"No! I'm not going to look."

"Come on Coraline…you know you want to…"

"No!"

"Coraline…"

"No, no, no."

"Jinx…"

"No!"

"Seriously, if you don't open your eyes, I am going to speed into the kitchen, grab the ice bin and dump it all down your shirt."

"You wouldn't!" she commented in horror.

She felt his weight disappear from her, and the sound of the freezer door open and shut. Within a few seconds, he was back, straddling her with the ice bucket in hand. To prove that he wasn't bluffing, he grabbed a few cubes and placed them on her collar bones.

Her eyes almost flew open as she gasped from surprise. "You better not do this, otherwise I'll hex you into next week."

"I can handle your hexes. Now open your eyes, or I'm putting the ice in this bin down your shirt. One…"

"Wally, this is stupid, I'm trying to be respectful."

"Two…"

"Seriously, you better not dump that ice on me. I'll demolish this apartment in retaliation."

"thre…"

Her eyes flew open, meeting his before he could finish the word.

"Oh, there are your eyes. I was beginning to wonder if your eyelids had become mysteriously glued shut." He placed the ice bucket on the coffee table and just smiled down at her. "See, it's not so bad right?"

"You have freckles," she uttered mindlessly. That he did, but only a few. Just around his cheek bones.

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm a red head. You really shouldn't be surprised by that."

She laughed at his joke, which eased the tension that she felt. She had to admit, he definitely looked good without his mask. She didn't expect him to be quite so handsome. His freckles even looked good on him. It gave him a boyish charm.

"Oh sure, laugh it up," he teased. "Besides, they aren't freckles, they are angel kisses. Get it right Coraline."

"Angel kisses?" she inquired.

"Yeah, people say that freckles are really angel kisses. As you can see, angels really dig me. They must not like you though since you don't have any."

Again, she found herself in a fit of laughter, which caused the speedster to smile. He liked this side of her. Better yet, he liked that they could interact like this. Without a mask, they were just two semi-normal people cohabitating an apartment. That element of villain and hero seemed to disappear the moment that she really saw him without any hindrance. They were now equals.

When her laughter finally dyed down, her face sobered a bit.

"Wally?"

"Yes Coraline?"

"It's nice to actually see you ." She almost felt idiotic for saying it, but it was the truth. A tiny part of her had always been curious what was behind that mask, and now she finally got to see.

"I could say the same to you, but you've been showing yourself since you came here. You also showed me that you're someone that I can confide in. I never really liked wearing the mask around the house."

She just smiled. "I also want to thank you."

"For what?"

"For using my real name. It's been years, and when I hear it, I don't think about my past as much."

"That's because you're not a Jinx, and I'm not a Flash. The world tries to categorize us in a few words, but that's foolish. We're complex." His response was almost poetic. It was perfect.

"I like that," She replied.


End file.
